Message filters don't work automatically
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: December 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm
Message filters don't work automatically
Does anyone know how to make Thunderbird's defective message filters actually work automatically instead of manually?
I'm running the latest version of Thunderbird with a fully updated Mac OS X, with two email accounts. Filters work just fine when I run them manually but do nothing to filter emails automatically as they come in. My only guess is that it has something to do with the filter before or after junk mail classification setting, but I don't know why this should make a difference.
I'm running the latest version of Thunderbird with a fully updated Mac OS X, with two email accounts. Filters work just fine when I run them manually but do nothing to filter emails automatically as they come in. My only guess is that it has something to do with the filter before or after junk mail classification setting, but I don't know why this should make a difference.
- tanstaafl
- Moderator
- Posts: 49647
- Joined: July 30th, 2003, 5:06 pm
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
They work for me, and I haven't noticed other recent threads about that problem. However, my impression is that a small percentage of users have run into similar problems for years. The normal order of processing is:
Message filters
"Trust header" (set by SpamAssassin etc.)
"Adaptive junk" (junk mail controls)
All that I can suggest is that you try deleting all of the filters for that account and experiment with creating different filters. You might eventually discover that certain ones don't work if certain other ones exist.
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=948418
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=830482
Message filters
"Trust header" (set by SpamAssassin etc.)
"Adaptive junk" (junk mail controls)
All that I can suggest is that you try deleting all of the filters for that account and experiment with creating different filters. You might eventually discover that certain ones don't work if certain other ones exist.
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=948418
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=830482
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: December 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
Thank you. My filters seem to be working -- though not 100% reliably -- after instructing Thunderbird to filter after junk classification. This is at best completely counter-intuitive, and I hope developers redesign it, or make it clearer. It's also hard to fathom why it should matter.
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: December 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
Despite all my efforts, my filters do not work on my secondary email account at all, and some do not work on my primary account. There should be no conflict among them. They do not apply to the same domains. This is simply a Thunderbird bug and defect. I can tell they are set right because they work manually. Maybe Thunderbird developers will fix this some day.
- DanRaisch
- Moderator
- Posts: 127188
- Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
- Location: Somewhere on the right coast
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
Are those non-working filters running against the Inbox folder or some other folder?
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: December 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
They're running against the inbox folder.
- DanRaisch
- Moderator
- Posts: 127188
- Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
- Location: Somewhere on the right coast
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
POP or IMAP type account(s)?
What are the filter actions involved? Testing by "From" or by multiple criteria? Moving messages? Deleting messages?
What are the filter actions involved? Testing by "From" or by multiple criteria? Moving messages? Deleting messages?
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: December 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
Hey, thanks for following up with me. This is with POP settings.
The instructions are simple, e.g. match a phrase in "from" and move to a specific folder. Criteria set to match any.
As I mentioned, I know the basic instructions are sound because they work manually.
The instructions are simple, e.g. match a phrase in "from" and move to a specific folder. Criteria set to match any.
As I mentioned, I know the basic instructions are sound because they work manually.
- DanRaisch
- Moderator
- Posts: 127188
- Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
- Location: Somewhere on the right coast
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
Do you regularly compact the message folders?
How many messages are currently in the Inbox folder?
How many messages are currently in the Inbox folder?
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: December 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
I never compact the folders, and there are about 70 messages under one account and about 15 under the other.
- DanRaisch
- Moderator
- Posts: 127188
- Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
- Location: Somewhere on the right coast
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
I never compact the folders,
First backup your profile -- http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_backup
Close Thunderbird and navigate to your Profile Folder ( http://kb.mozillazine.org/Profile_Folder ). Find the files with the extension msf, such as Inbox.msf. Note that there will be sets of two files with the name but only one of these will have the MSF extension. Delete the files with the MSF extension. Restart Thunderbird, compact all folders, and see if things are back to normal. Note that the MSF files do NOT contain your messages. They are, for lack of a better term, an index file and will be recreated by Thunderbird as required.
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: December 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
DanRaisch,
Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm skeptical that will make a difference, as numerous filters work, and the dysfunctional filters work if I manually apply them. I'm also afraid of destroying settings it took a long time to create.
it appears TB is just incredibly buggy in this department. For instance, the tool, Run Filters on Folder, does absolutely nothing.
Hopefully the developers are paying attention and will fix these glitches.
Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm skeptical that will make a difference, as numerous filters work, and the dysfunctional filters work if I manually apply them. I'm also afraid of destroying settings it took a long time to create.
it appears TB is just incredibly buggy in this department. For instance, the tool, Run Filters on Folder, does absolutely nothing.
Hopefully the developers are paying attention and will fix these glitches.
- DanRaisch
- Moderator
- Posts: 127188
- Joined: September 23rd, 2004, 8:57 pm
- Location: Somewhere on the right coast
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
This forum is not run by or formally associated with Mozilla. We're an independent user-helping-user community and there are usually no developers here.
Unless the filters that ARE working are running against exactly the same folders as those that aren't working, you are not really comparing like with like. Not sure what settings you are afraid of losing but deleting the .msf file will reset the sort order of the folder(s) for which the index files are rebuilt.
Unless the filters that ARE working are running against exactly the same folders as those that aren't working, you are not really comparing like with like. Not sure what settings you are afraid of losing but deleting the .msf file will reset the sort order of the folder(s) for which the index files are rebuilt.
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: December 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
Dear DanRisch,
I'd like to try the steps you suggest, but the profile backup link is to Firefox not Thunderbird. Any other resources?
I understand this is not a developer forum, and I'm very appreciative of the help I get here. I hope developers are lurking though, because they might learn something about systemic defects in their software.
I'd like to try the steps you suggest, but the profile backup link is to Firefox not Thunderbird. Any other resources?
I understand this is not a developer forum, and I'm very appreciative of the help I get here. I hope developers are lurking though, because they might learn something about systemic defects in their software.
-
- Posts: 35
- Joined: December 13th, 2014, 10:14 pm
Re: Message filters don't work automatically
Oh, I see. The profile means...all my messages. Those are reasonably well backed up.
I have a huge number of .msf files as I have a lot of folders.
There's got to be an easier way to make Thunderbird's filters work properly.
I have a huge number of .msf files as I have a lot of folders.
There's got to be an easier way to make Thunderbird's filters work properly.